Background tensions The late 19th century coincided with increased
struggle between three main groups: •
farmworkers, those farming on land on which they had no control over; •
tenant farmers, those renting the land to farm; and •
landowners, those owning the agricultural land. Further angered in their opposition to potential
land reform by the
Liberal government, the
Central Land Association (CLA) was formed to represent
landlords' interests against their farmers, and against the Liberal government.
Formation and growth , where the
Smithfield Show was held when the NFU was formed in 1908 In 1904, the '''Lincolnshire Farmers' Union
(LFU''') was founded to represent tenant farmers, in part against both increasingly unionised farmworkers, and against landlords. By 1913, it had 20,000 members—a majority being tenant-farmers—and excluded
landowners but allowed
owner-occupying farmers. Campbell was succeeded as NFU President in 1921 by
Richard Robbins, an employers' representative on the
Agricultural Wages Board. Verley Merchant, the NFU's Welsh Secretary, responded to the formation by saying "We will smash you in three months". In 2003 Ben Gill stood down as NFU president. Both deputy president
Tim Bennett, and Derek Mead—a founding member of
Farmers for Action (FFA) as well as a NFU Council member—stood as candidates. Better NFU also received support from
Zac Goldsmith and
Robin Page. Handley said wished to see the NFU be more proactive and democratic, while his opponents feared he would turn the NFU into a larger version of the FFA. Peter Kendall won ahead of both in the 2006 leadership contest. Handley would describe Kendall as more collaborative than prior NFU Presidents. As a part of the
UK quango reforms by the
Cameron–Clegg government, in 2013 the government prepared to abolish the
Agricultural Wages Board—the body which had been responsible for regulating farm workers' wages. As pressure grew to maintain the board, the NFU lobbied in support of abolishing it. The government and the NFU were successful and in 2013 the board was abolished. In the same year, the NFU campaigned against the imposition of any cap on subsidies that farmers could receive. In 2016, the
Ethical Consumer Research Association published a report
Understanding the NFU - an English Agribusiness Lobby Group. The report described the NFU as promoting policies that benefit big
agribusinesses at the expense of farm workers pay and conditions, the environment, and
animal welfare. During the
Brexit referendum, the NFU Council voted overwhelmingly to endorse the
Remain campaign, but did not actively campaign on the issue. In the lead-up to the referendum, the NFU commissioned a report by
Wageningen University which found that two of three
Brexit scenarios could increase
farm-gate prices. She defeated the only other candidate, Guy Smith, who became her deputy. She stepped down as president in February 2024 and was succeeded by
Tom Bradshaw without any challengers. In the
October 2024 budget, the Labour government announced reforms to
inheritance tax which revoke the exemptions for agricultural estates. From April 2026, these estates will be taxed at 20% (half the standard rate) but the first £1million of the property value will continue to be exempt. The NFU opposed the reforms, and responded by organising a protest in London. In 2025 NFU held an AgriFutures Diversity Conference at STEAM house in Birmingham to promote inclusivity in agriculture. In May 2025, Terry Jones announced he would step down as Director General at the end of April 2026, after ten years in the post. Sophie Throup took up the role in the following month. The archives of the NFU are deposited with the Rural History Centre at
Reading University. ==Structure and function==